


Be Careful

by Katybug1992



Series: Tumblr Prompts [92]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-03-09 19:08:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18923242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katybug1992/pseuds/Katybug1992
Summary: “You need to be more careful.” Race muttered, packing up the kit, as satisfied as he could be with his work.“I’m always careful.” Jack replied, rolling his eyes at Racer’s unimpressed look, “You know me.”





	Be Careful

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a quote from Merlin

Racer watched, leaning against the half-wall of the “Penthouse”, watching as Jack winced as he pulled one of the suspenders down, eyes narrowing as his leader avoided looking at him.

“You can’t keep doing this.” Race pushed away from the wall, approaching the older boy, “Let me see.”

“There’s nothing to see.” Jack replied, “I’m fine.”

“Liar.” Race scoffed, “I’ve argued Spot Conlon into letting me clean up and he is much more stubborn than you are.”

Jack glared but sat down and ignored his smirking Second, who was sitting down in front of him with the medical kit.

Racer quickly got to work cleaning the cuts and pressing into the bruises to make sure he didn’t feel any anomalies on his ribs that would indicate that one or more were potentially broken.

“You need to be more careful.” Race muttered, packing up the kit, as satisfied as he could be with his work.

“I’m always careful.” Jack replied, rolling his eyes at Racer’s unimpressed look, “You know me.”

“Yes, Jack,” the younger boy rolled his eyes, “unfortunately I do.” 

They were silent for a minute before Race said, “What’s gotten into you? You don’t go around picking fights. That’s my job, remember?”

Jack scoffed in return, before saying, “Are you happy here?”

“What do you mean?” Race replied, meeting Jack’s gaze in a potentially defiant manner, gearing up for a fight that may or may not come.

“I mean that I never see you as happy here are you when you’re in Brooklyn.” Jack replied, “I mean, even now, you’re looking over at the Bridge.”

“It’s not Brooklyn that makes me happy.” Race replied after a minute, trying to piece together what he wanted to say, “Spot and I go way back. He’s the only one, besides you, who knows my entire history. And I love him. But I also love you...and Crutchie. You guys were the ones who made me feel welcome in ‘Hattan, made it my home. Albert gets me in ways that I didn’t know I needed. Romeo, Smalls, Boots….they need me, you know? I have more anchoring me here than I do in Brooklyn.”

“But if he asked you…?” Jack broached the topic they both tried to avoid.

“He wouldn’t.” Racer replied earnestly, truly believing that Spot would never make him choose.

“But if he did,” Jack pressed, “what would you do?”

“Go to Queens.” Racer shot back. 

He and Jack stared each other down for a minute before Jack looked away and Racer sighed, “He wouldn’t make me choose...and neither should you.”

“Sorry,” Jack replied, relaxing back against the wall, “I just….I can’t lose you.”

“I can’t lose you, either,” Racer knocked his shoulder against Jack’s as he settled next to him, “But you gotta stop trying to play tug-a-war with Spot. You’re both the most important people in my life and I can’t function without both of you.”

“If he would stop -” Jack started to argue, cut off by Racer slapping a hand over his mouth.

“And I have talked to him about that.” Racer cut him off with a look. Deflating slightly, he stated, “I just don’t know why you guys can’t just get over whatever it is that makes you act this way.”

“It’s hard to move past it when you mean so much to both of us.” Jack looked over at the blonde, “You’re my little brother and you’re the only person he likes...he loves you very much.”

“I know he does,” Racer looked down to try to hide his blush, “I think you would like if you knew him better.”

“That’s never going to happen.” Jack rolled his eyes, ignoring the smirk the blonde was now sending him.

“So, who was it?” Racer asked, gesturing to Jack’s injuries.

“Oscar.” Jack replied, “Didn’t like the way he was looking at you earlier today.”  
“I can take care of myself.” Race rolled his eyes.

“It was either that or let Spot handle it.” Jack grinned, “And you wouldn’t want Spottie-Boy to kill someone, would you?”

“I am so going to tell him you called him that.” Racer laughed, leaning his head against the wall.

Jack just smiled, flinging an arm over the blonde’s shoulder and pulling him closer, the two of them sitting in comfortable silence before shouts of their names floated upstairs.

“Duty calls.” Racer grinned standing up and heading down the fire escape and back into the Lodging House, immediately going to break up the scuffle that Romeo and Smalls were currently engaged in, while at the same time settling the argument between Albert, Elmer, and Finch over whose turn it was to shower.

Jack took a minute to admire how effortless Racer made it all look before jumping in when Boots almost fell off the bed that he had started jumping on in an effort to keep cheering on Smalls and intervened in the brewing argument between Specs and Henry.

As everyone finally calmed down and got in bed, he met Racer’s eyes across the room and grinned. They made a pretty good team.


End file.
